Posted by Dick Stauffer on Monday, 25 May 2015, at 12:34 p.m., in response to Re: band springs, posted by Tom Trevor on Monday, 25 May 2015, at 11:31 a.m.

I have found that band springs are of two types, a high hump type used beginning with the M1855 musket and a low hump type introduced with the 1863 musket. Springs may well have been made new after 1873 but since earlier high hump springs do show up on the 45-70 it indicates musket springs were salvaged. Sometimes, a rifle will have one spring of each type. I have found M1855 high hump springs in the upper and lower position without regard and in both locations. The M1855 spring requires a deeper cut since it has to be pressed further into the stock for the band to clear. It would not have been a problem for the experienced workmen at Springfield to accomplish this with a small chisel. I can only posit that the springs were salvaged from muskets along with the other reusable parts and refinished at the same time the other parts like buttplates and guards were refinished. The stockers simply made the minor stock adjustment for the springs as necessary depending upon what type came out of the parts bin. I further note that buttplates salvaged from muskets are not consistent in the fit at the curve and do not always interchange exactly. Springfield must have had some sort of pantograph system to cut the stock to fit the plate as I have never seen evidence of hand work in the buttplate mortice.